VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Stock Comparison

Marriott International, Inc. vs UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Marriott International, Inc.

MAR · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
SectorConsumer
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
72/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Marriott International, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MAR analysis

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UNH · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$123.8B
SectorHealthcare
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
64/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UNH analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Marriott International, Inc. leads (72 / 100 vs 64 / 100 for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: Marriott International, Inc. has 2 segments; UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 4 segments (74.9% in UnitedHealthcare).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Marriott International, Inc. has 4 moat types across 3 domains; UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 5 across 2.

Primary market context

Marriott International, Inc.

U.S. & Canada Lodging Platform

Market

Branded hotel franchising & management platform (including loyalty and reservation systems)

Geography

U.S. & Canada

Customer

Two-sided: travelers (guests) and hotel owners (franchisees/owners of managed properties)

Role

Brand owner / franchisor / manager; operator of reservation, loyalty, and marketing systems

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UnitedHealthcare

Market

U.S. health benefits / managed care (commercial, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care)

Geography

United States (primarily)

Customer

Employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs

Role

Health insurer / managed care organization

Revenue share

74.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Marriott International, Inc.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
MAR - NASDAQ
UNH - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$123.8B
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. & Canada Lodging Platform
UnitedHealthcare
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
16%-18% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
72 / 100
64 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Supply
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-01
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Marriott International, Inc. strengths

Brand TrustTwo Sided NetworkDistribution ControlLong Term Contracts

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite BundlingOperational ExcellenceData Workflow LockinTraining Org Change Costs

Segment mix

Marriott International, Inc. segments

Full profile >

U.S. & Canada Lodging Platform

Competitive

n/a

International Lodging Platform

Competitive

n/a

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated segments

Full profile >

UnitedHealthcare

Oligopoly

74.9%

Optum Health

Competitive

9.9%

Optum Insight

Competitive

1.7%

Optum Rx

Oligopoly

13.5%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.